Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-30
A PULASKI SENSATION.
Mrs. Eimina ID. Slenker Arrested
on a Grave Charge.


The Lynchburg Pirginin of yes
terday says: The arrest of Mrs.
Elmina ID. Slenker, in the pretty little
village of SnOwville, Pulaski county, by
United States Marshal J. II. Jordan
yesterday created quite sensation i'll
that peaceful community. Mr.. Jordan
made the arrest on q warrant issued by
United States Commissioner Tinsley,
of this city, on information lodged by
Post. Oflice-lnspectOr w. ii. Barclay.
II brought Mrs. Slenker here yester-
day afternoon and lodged her in Jail,
where she will remain, unless bail is
furnished, until the United States Dis
tlict Court convenes at Abingdon.
Mrs. Slenker has been "suspect 4"
for several years of violating the postal
laws by sending obscene matter through
the mails, and although the officers
have doubtless for some time had sufli
cient evidence to warrant her arrest it
has been postponed for some reason.
1t was brought about at last through
the active agency of Mr.. McAfee, an
agent of the Anthony Comstock So
ciety for the Suppression of Vice, OF
New York.
Mrs. Slenker was well known, by
reputation at least, throughout the i'm
mediate section where she has resided
for twelve years or more, and possibly
more widely known throughout the
country at large, through her pernicious
writings of one sort and another. She
has been frequent contributor to
the local press of Pulaski county,
and there was, perhaps, no paper
in the United States of free
thinking or infdel character in which
her signature WAS not a familiar
sight. Her neighbors knew of her
views in this direction, but they did
not suspect her Of anything worse. But
for years, it seems, she has been sys-
tematically carrying on a wide "iree-
love" correspondence of the vilest
character. A large number of letters
and publications of the most obscene
description were found in her posses
sion, and will be produced in evidence
against her on her trial.
The husband of Mrs. Slenker is a
quiet and industrious man, and has for
years been the principal owner of the
Snowville woollen-Inills. He under
stands his business thoroughly, and
has attended to it strictly and it is
more than likely that he was not aware
of the disgraceful business in which
his wife was engaged. He refused to
90 her bail when she was arrested.
The couple, who were originally from
New York, have one son, who is asso-
ciated with his father in the woollen-
mills Several years ago he married q
young lady Of Snowyille, and has sew
eral children.
Mrs. Slenkerisan exceedingly homely
woman. She can hardly be said to have
a single attractive feature, and, as if to
render herself more unpreposSessing,
she wears her hair short after the man
ner Of northern women of "advanced
ideas" Her voice is unpleasant and
reI ollant, owing to a defective palate,
and she would seem to be little likely
to inspire tho tender passion, except at
o great distance. She has been a pro-
life writer on her various hobbies, and
her facility in writing, coupled with
sense of her personal unattractiveness,
may have been the superinducing cause
of her downfall. Her belief in free love
has doubtless developed into mania,
which has rendered her unguarded in
her frequent violations of the postal
laws. Hence her detection and arrest.